AKRON, Ohio (June 24, 2010) – Akron Pitcher Jamee Juarez tossed a gem, recording 10 strikeouts to guide the Racers to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Bandits in the series and home opener in front of 636 fans at Firestone Stadium this evening.

The victory improves the Racers to 6-3 on the year, putting them in a first place tie with the USSSA Pride atop the National Pro Fastpitch standings as Chicago drops to 4-5 to remain in third.

Juarez (2-2) was dominant in the circle all game long, working out of two serious Chicago threats in the fourth and sixth innings. The right-hander tossed six complete frames and gave up just one run to earn today’s win. Jaime Southern registered a strikeout and two groundouts in the seventh to earn her third save of the season while Kristina Thorson (1-1) took the loss in two innings of work.

The Racers got all the offense they would need in the home half of the second. Sam Ricketts put the home team ahead, launching a two-run home run--her second on the season, to dead center. Trena Peel led off the frame with a single to center and used heads-up baserunning to advance to second on the Christine Knauer error prior to RIcketts' shot.

Chicago utilized a pair of pitchers in Jessica Sallinger and Nikki Nemitz to limit Akron’s scoring opportunities, relieving Thorson with two innings each. Nemitz surrendered a hit and picked up a strikeout while Sallinger gave up two hits and struck out a pair of Racers.

The Bandits’ lone run came atop the sixth inning by way of a one-out Stacy May solo home run. Following the home run, Juarez issued a pair of walks to put a pair on for the Bandits but then got two key defensive outs to preserve Akron’s lead.

Jess Valis and Peel each paced the home club with 2-for-3 days at the plate while Lisa Modglin also singled.

The Racers and Bandits resume the series tomorrow (Friday) at 7:05 p.m. for Country Night at Firestone Stadium. Be sure to catch the action online at either MLB.com with a $19.95 season-long subscription or follow live stats at Pointstreak.com.

About Us

National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) is a growing professional sports platform for women in sport, specifically the sport of fastpitch softball. NPF currently exists as a rarity among professional team sports options for women. The league provides a place for fastpitch softball’s elite level players, to compete against each other. The NPF works to grow the game daily through individual team ownership, increased engagement with corporate America partners and expanded television coverage. The five current affiliate NPF teams are located in Akron, OH; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Vero Beach, FL and Viera, FL.